Occurrence of Numerous Large Giant Cells in the Tonsils and Pharyngeal Mucosa in Prodromal Stage of Measles.

Abstract

This paper, which appeared posthumously, describes an entirely new histopathological feature of the prodromal stage of measles. In four instances, in the course of the examination of about 50,000 pairs of tonsils, there were found a subepithelial infiltration of multinucleate syncytial giant cells, lymphocytes and monocytes, wandering of the giant cells into the mucosa and on to its surface, with edema and congestion, marked lymphoid exhaustion of the germinal centers with production of the multinucleate giant cells from cells of the lymphoblast type and migration of these cells toward the mucosa. In the first patient, two days after tonsillectomy there